Bag-holding mechanism



(NO Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. H. CUMMINGS. BAG HOLDI NG MECHANISM.

No. 574,137. PatentedDeo. 29, 1896.

866. Zia/19M 6M 4% 1 {No Model.) '4 SheetsSheet 2.

I H. H. CUMMINGS. BAG HOLDING MECHANISM.

No. 574,137. Patented Dec; 29, 1896.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

H. H. CUMMINGS. BAG HOLDINGMEGHANISM.

N0. 5'74.137. Patented Deo. 29, 1896.

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(No Model.) 4-Sheets-Sheet 4.

' H. H. CUMMINGS.

I BAG HOLDING MECHANISM. 'No. 574,137. I Patented Dec. 29, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. CUMMINGS, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE BROWN BAG FILLING MACHINE COMPANY, OF

FITOHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

BAG-HOLDING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.574,137, dated December29, 1896.

Application filed July 1, 1890.

Serial No- 35'7,34='7. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. CUMMINGS,

of Malden, county of Middlesex, State of Mas-.

sachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Bag-Holding Mechanism, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters and figures 011 the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide novel mechanism by which tohold a paper or other bag at its edges when the same has been filled.

My improved mechanism includes a pair of sliding jaws, a movable framein which the said jaws slide, and means mounted upon the said frame tonot only slide but to open and close the said jaws at the proper times.

The holding mechanism herein shown may be applied to a machinesubstantially such as represented in United States Patent No. 354,094,dated December 14, 1886, to take the bags from the funnel, or it may beused in connection with a machine substantially such as represented inmy Patent No. 509,218, dated May 14, 1895, to engage the bags while heldby a bagopening device substantially as therein shown, the main shaft ofthe said machine being provided with suitable cams to actuate thedevices to be herein described.

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of my improved bag-holder. Fig. 1, inside elevation, partially broken out, represents a bag-filling machineforming the subject-m atter of United States Letters Patent No. 539,218,dated May 14, 1895, with my present invention applied thereto to moreclearly show the mechanism in situ; Fig. 2, an end View looking in thedirection of arrow 1, Fig. 1, the cam, its shaft, and bearings beingomitted. Fig. 3 is a section in the line m, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detailto be referred to; Figs. 5 and 6, details to be referred to, and Fig. 7is a view in elevation of the main-shaft support or bearings and some ofthe connected mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 7, A issupposed to represent suitable bearings forming part of a bag-fillingmachine, such as shown in myv patent hereinbefore referred to, acam-shaft A rotating therein and provided with a cam D,

(see Figs. 1 and 3,) the periphery of which is suitably shaped to strikea roll A the said cam having a side throw A, which acts upon a roller orother stud A carried by a link A, jointed at aat its opposite ends tolike shafts (1 supported in bearings of a frame B, (see Fig. 1,) saidframe having arms B B, which embrace loosely the main cam-shaft A Oneend of the link, A is offset, as best shown in Fig. 2, the ends of thelink thus being on opposite sides of the rock-shafts (F, for a purposehereinafter described.

The frame B in practice is vibrated on the shaft A for a limiteddistance, and in order to produce such vibration one of the arms B maybe provided with a suitable stud 13 (see Figs. 1, 5, and 7,) on which iscaught a link B which is jointed to a pin B on an arm B which may inpractice, and as clearly shown in Fig. 7, be seen red to a rocking studor shaft F common to the said patent and mounted in a bearing F and, asis provided for in the said patent, the stud or shaft F is rocked bymeans of a lever F secured thereto and having a suitable roller or otherstud 12, which is actuated by a cam c 011 the shaft A In the said patentthe hopper is adjustably connected to the lever F shown herein as brokenoff in Fig. 7.

To more clearly show the mechanism of my present invention in Stilt, Ihave added to the drawings Fig. 1 the same corresponding to Fig. 1 inthe United States Patent No. 539,218, hereinbefore referred to, and thesaid Fig. 1 shows the relative position of the parts in the twoinventions. I have illustrated some of the parts in the said figure tocorrespond with like letters in the saidpatent to more clearly identifythe'two by comparison, while in a number of instances I have omitted thelettering to avoid confusion in consideration of the case and also forthe reason that in the preparation of the two cases the same lettershave in some instances been used to designate different parts. Eachshaft or at its front end is provided with a pinion a which engagesrack-teeth of a bar co, the inner end of each of said bars being shapedsubstantially as shown to form a jaw 2, which is pref erably roughenedor toothed to better insure the grasp of the jaw 011 the bag b. Eachslide-bar has pivoted upon it at 3 the second member 0 of the pair ofjaws 2 The free ends of the jaws are beveled inwardly to facilitate theready application of the jaws to the edges of the bag b. Each jaw membera has jointed to it a link 0', preferably made in two parts, as shown,one part being screwed into the other to enable the links to belengthened or shortened to enable the mechanism to be adjusted for bagsof different width.

The inner ends of the links are jointed by pins 0 to blocks or heads 0of studs 0, held adjustably by set-screws c in bearings c of arock'shaft C, so that the said studs may be adjusted longitudinally asrequired, according to the width of the bag.

The rock-shaft 0, supported at its ends, as shown, 011 point-screws (Z,has a lug d, on which is mounted the roller-stud A, and as the cam D isrotated it, by contact with the stud A turns the said rock-shaft, aspring (Z connected to the frame and bearing against the said lug d,normally acting to 'keep'the said roller against the periphery of thesaid cam.

I have shown one of the jaw members 0 as provided with a stud 5, onwhich bears a spring a, which aids in keeping the said'jaw memberclosed, and by slotting the inner end of the link 0, as at 8, (see Fig.6,) connected to the said jaw member and block, the said spring enablesthe pair of jaws with which itcooperates to be self-adapting tovariations in thickness of the bag.

\Vhen the roller A is not acted upon by the side throw A, a spring f, tobe described, draws the link A in the opposite direction, and by reasonof the location of the ends of the link with relation to the rock-shaftsa the pinions a" are turned in opposite directions, the bars (0 therebybeing separated, and also the jaws carried thereby.

\Vhen the stud A is lifted by the side throw, the link is moved againstthe action of the spring and the jaws are made to approach each other.

The frame B has a stud 9 and the link A has a stud l0, and the saidstuds are connected with a spiral spring f, which normally acts to keepthe jaws separated, sothat when the jaws grasp the edges of a bag theywill pull thereon in the direction of the width of the bag to normallyclose its plies, so that the usual lip of the bag may be readily foldeddown or over to close the mouth of the bag, the jaws in practicegrasping the bag as closely as possible to its open end and yet leavingsufficient space for the bag-lip to be pasted to the shorter ply of thebag.

The operation of my improvements, as used in connection with thepatented machine heretofore referred to, and illustrated in Fig. 1, isas follows: The stack of bags is fed along the guide E by the follower eand are caught one by one by the bag opener and holder and filled fromthe hopper F. Just as a bag is filled the frame B is swung up on itspivot-shaft A by means of the link connection B with lever F. At themoment that the jaws 2 2, carried at the free end of the frame 13, (seeFig. 1,) get opposite the upper edges of the filled bag, below theclosing-flap thereof, (see Fig. 2,) the roll A reaches the reducedportion of cam D as the latter is revolved by shaft A as shown in Fig.3, and this at once permits the jaws, under the action of spring d", toclose against the said edges of the bag, the jaws having been previouslymoved inwardly toward each other and toward the bag by means of the sidethrow A acting on the stud A to swing the link A up, Fig. 2. Havinggrasped the filled bag firmly on either side, as stated, the stud A runsoff from the side throw A Fig. 3, and permits the spring f to separatethe pairs of jaws. Frame B is then moved downwardly by the cam e andmechanism shown in detail in Fig. 7 in the opposite direction to itsprevious movement, carrying the filled bag, which has been properlypasted by the paste device operated by lever t, away from the fillingmechanism and down under the folder. As the folder seizes the pasted lipof the bag the enlarged portion of cam D raises roll A", thereby openingthe jaws 2 2, which thereupon move away from the bag a short distanceunder the influence of spring f or other separating means, the extent ofthis movement depending upon the distance previously taken up by theabove-mentioned stretching apart of the edges ofthe bag, the twomovements together equaling the opposite or inward movement due to theside throw A. The open and separated jaws are now swung up again tograsp the next bag, which has in the meantime been filled, and thistheydo by being moved inwardly, then closed against the bag, and finallyallowed, )referably,to spring away from each other, stretching the bagat its sides until the opposite plies are brought together forsubsequent closing and sealing, as before explained. This cycle ofmovements is repeated with each bag.

Vhile I have thus described the operation of my bag-holding mechanism inconnection with my patented bag-filling machine, I wish to have itunderstood that I have done so solely for the purpose of illustration,and do not intend to be limited in any way thereby, inasmuch as myinvention may be used alone or in connection with any other machine.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. In a bag-holder, a frame, two pairs of jaws therein, means to openand close the said jaws, and means to bodily move said pairs of jaws inopposite directions, substantially as described.

2. In a bagmachine, a frame, two pairs of jaws carried thereby, andmeans to reciprocate the said jaws in opposite directions to stretch thebag in the direction of its width, substantially as described.

3. The shaft A the rocking frame thereon, and two pairs of jaws,combined with means to open and close the said jaws, and means toreciprocate the same to stretch the bag in the direction of its width,substantially as described.

4. In a bag-holder, a frame, two pairs of jaws therein, means to openand close the said jaws, a spring to act upon both pairs of jaws 10 inclosing, and an auxiliary spring to render one of the said pairs of jawsself-adapting to varying thicknesses of paper independently of the otherpair, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of I 5 two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY H. CUMMINGS. \Vitnesses:

GEORGE W. GREGORY, EMMA J. BENNETT.

